352 
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Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics 

United States Department of Agriculture and State 
Agricultural Colleges Cooperating 



PEPPERS 




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 160 



Contribution from the States Relations Service 

A. C. TRUE, Director 



\Va8hingtoii,D. C. January, 1921 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1921 



^<>»OgT«J|j, 



r^ IRLS' CLUB WORK WITH SPANISH PEPPERS 
^^ has resulted in the extensive cultivation of this 
much desired vegetable wherever the soil and cli- 
matic conditions are favorable to its groWth. It has 
led to the increased use of pimiento or sweet pepper 
not only in the fresh state for the making of soups 
and salads, for flavoring and garnishing, but also 
preserved, alone, or used in combination with other 
food products in the making of such palatable dishes 
as Creole Chicken. The club girls have standard- 
ized and placed on the market Dixie Relish, B. S. 
Chutney, and Creole Sauce, preparations largely 
made of sweet peppers, and they have learned to 
keep the peppers fresh by placing them in dry saw- 
dust in order to supply the demand for fresh peppers 
out of season. The pepper work has been a means 
of adding to the family income. 



I 'RWARY OF CONGReSt 

OCT 3 1933 



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PEPPERS. 



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IHIS CIRCULAR has been prepared for club members who are 
± making demonstrations with Spanish peppers. Girls who are doing 
this should read and follow this circular carefully. The instructions 
on growing pepper plants were prepared by Mr. W. W. Tracy, of the 
Office of Horticultural and 
Pomological 



tions, Bureau 
Industry. 



Investiga- 
of Plant 




GROWING THE PLANTS. 

The pepper plant is very 
similar to the tomato as to 
the conditions most favor- 
able for its development 
and is even more sensitive, 
particularly when young, 
to checks in growth from 
cold, wetj or unfavorable 
conditions of soil. In 
order to get the best re- 
turns it is important that 
there be an unchecked 
growth from the time of 
starting the seed until the 
fruit has ripened. Not in- 
frequently large vigorous 
plants will yield but very 
little fruit, and usually 
this can be traced to a 
cold, hard, ill-drained soil or to a check in the growth of the young 
plant from cold. It is wisest, then, to make sure of well-drained soil, 
to put it in the best possible mechanical condition, and to delay plant- 
ing until one can be reasonably certain of constant warm weather 
with the least possible danger from cold or wet. 

Very satisfactory crops are often grown from seed planted in place 
in the open field, but there is much greater probability of a good 
yield from the use of started plants, and very often the profit is 
determined by the character of the plant set. 

In a general way the best soil to use is one made up of one-third 
by bulk of garden soil, one-third of well-rotted manure, and one- 
third of coarse-grained sand, but the best proportion of each will 
vary with its character. If the soil is heavy and compact, use less 
soil and more sand; if.it is sandy, use more soil and less sand. If 
the manure is heavy and poorly rotted, take pains to make it as light 
as possible and use a larger proportion. It is important that the 
ingredients be well mixed, which can best be accomplished by throw- 



FiG. 1. — Sorting pimientos according to size 
maturity before washing. 



and 



22449°— 20 



(3) 



ing them into a conical heap, shoveling this over, and then passing 
it through a coarse sieve of about a half-inch mesh. Carefully level 
about 2 to 3 inches of this soil in a shallow box and water as thor- 
oughly as possible without making it actually muddy. Let it stand 
for at least an hour and then add about one-half inch of fresh soil, 
and in this plant the seed either in drills about one- fourth inch deep 
or scatter over the surface and evenly cover "vvith from one-fourth 
to one-half inch of the fresh earth. If the box is to be exposed to 
the sun, it is well to cover it with a paper, but care must be taken 
to remove this before the young plants appear, \vhich they should 
do in from 7 to 12 days. The box should be kept where the tempera- 
ture can be held as uni- 
formly as possible at 00° to 
80° F. It might run higher 
in midday, but germination 
will be checked in propor- 
tion as it runs lower. 

Care should be taken that 
the young plants are not 
allowed to be so crowded 
as to become bleaclied and 
tender. It is better to pull 
and transplant or even 
throw away some plants 
rather than have the whole 
planting permanently in- 
jured. As soon as the cen- 
tral bud is well developed 
the seedlings should be 
transplanted, setting them 
from 1 to 3 inches apart, 
according to the size at 
which it is planned that 
they should go into the per- 
manent place in the field. Care should be taken that the soil of the 
plant bed is such that there is little danger of its becoming compact 
and hard, but will remain so friable as to enable the plants to be 
pulled for setting with the least possible injury to the roots. During 
the germination of the seed and the growth of the young plants care- 
fully avoid overwatering. Don't water unless the plants show by a 
tendency to wilt that they need it ; then give an abundance. It is much 
better if this be done in the morning or evening rather than at midday. 
For five or six days before transplanting, allow the beds to get as dry 
as possible without the plants wilting; then 8 to 12 hours before 
the plants are to go to the field give the bed an abundant watering. 
In the meantime the soil of the field should have been made as 
friable as possible by repeated cultivation. If it is liable to be in- 
fested by cutworms, keep it clear of every germinating weed for 10 
days before setting the plants, and about 24 hours before setting 
them scatter cut cloA^er which has been sprinkled with Paris-green 
water. The hungry worms will go long distances to reach this green 
food and many of them will be killed. 

In order to facilitate the gathering of the fruit with the least 
possible injury to the plants, it has been found advantageous to 




l"iG. 2. — Seeding, coring, and peeling roasted pi- 
mientos before packing. 



leave every fourth row vacant, if necessary crowding the plants 
which should go into the fourth row with those in the other three 
rows. 

After setting -the plants, give the field a thorough cultivation, 
Avhich should be repeated as often as practicable without injuring 
the plants. 

CANNING PEPPERS. 

The fruits of the mild-flavored varieties of Spanish peppers (used 
in canned pimientos) differ from the ordinary sweet bell pepper in 
that they have a much thicker meat, a very tough skin, and are 
smooth in contour, being comparatively free from ridges. These 
peppers upon being heated develop a juice which, when mixed with 




Fig. 3. — Packing pimientos. 

water,' makes an unpleasant slimy mixture. For this reason no water 
is used in their preparation for salads or in canning. 

The peppers should be picked in the early morning and handled 
carefully, to prevent bruising. • This can be done by placing them in 
shallow trays, from which they can be easily sorted (fig. 1). The 
medium-sized, uniformly sound peppers should be canned whole. 
The irregular, broken ones may be cut into strips and canned or 
used in relishes, sauces, or soup mixtures. 

STANDARD PACKING IN TINS. 

Select sound, uniform peppers of medium size. To remove seeds, 
cut around the stem of each with a slender paring knife and remove 
the inside partitions. To peel, place the peppers in a hot oven 
from 6 to 10 minutes (until the skin blisters and cracks), being care- 
ful not to allow them to burn. Then remove the skin with a slender 
paring knife (fig. 2). Flatten the peppers and pack in horizontal 



6 

layers. Place whole, uniform peppers in the cans, packing them to 
Avithin ^ inch of the top of cans. 

The net weight of the standard pack should not be less than 1 
pound in a No. 2 can and 8 ounces in a flat No. 1 can. No liquid is 
used. The processing brings out of the peppers a thick liquor which 
almost covers them in the can or jar. Cap and exhaust flat No, 1 
cans for 2 minutes and No. 2 cans for 3 minutes. Tip and process 
in hot water at boiling temperature, the flat No. 1 cans for 15 min- 
utes, the No. 2 cans for 25 minutes. 

Creole sauce (recipe given on p. 9) is packed in No. 1 or No. 2 
tins. Exhaust No, 2 cans 5 minutes and process at boiling temper- 
ature for 25 minutes, 

STANDARD PACKING IN GLASS. 

Prepare the peppers as for packing in tin. For the J— H brand 
package use a 10-ounce tumbler-shaped glass jar with hermetic cap. 




Fig. 4. — Special fancy packs of pimiento products. 

This jar should contain, packed in flattened horizontal layers, six 
whole peppers. The jar should be well filled and in some cases seven 
peppers may be necessary for a full pack, (Figs, 3 and 4,) Cap, 
clamp, and process for 20 minutes. Do not remove the clamp imtil 
the jar is thoroughly cold. 

The strips and cubes cut from irregular and broken peppers may 
be packed in pints and quarts for home use. Process pint jars for 
20 minutes and quart jars for 30 minutes. 

The best way to chop the vegetable ingredients uniformly is to put 
them through a food chopper. 



RECIPES. 

Note. — All measurements are level. 

STUFFED PEPPER MANGO. 

Soak sweet peppers in brine (1 cup salt to 1 gallon water) for 24 hours. 
When ready to stuff, take from brine, rinse in fresh water, carefully cut a circle 
off the top of each pepper, and save same, to be placed on peppers after stuffing. 
Remove the seeds and white sections. Soak in clear cold water for one to two 
hours. Drain carefully. Stuff with Dixie relish, being careful not to press it 
in too tightly. Place top on the -pepper and make secure by one or two stitches 
or by tying it on. Pack as many stuffed peppers as can be placed in the jar 
without crushing. Then fill the jar to overflowing with a spiced vinegar. Proc- 
ess for 15 minutes in quart jars. 

SPICED VINEGAR. 

i gallon vinegar. 

i cup grated horse-radish. 

li tablespoons celery seed (crushed). 

1 cup sugar. 

Cloves, nutmeg, and grated onion mav be added, if desired 



li tablespoons mustard seed. 

1 tablespoon salt. 

1 tablespoon cinnamon. 



DIXIE RELISH. 



4 tablespoons mustard seed. 

2 tablespoons celery seed (crushed). 

f cup sugar. 

1 quart vinegar. 



1 quart chopped cabbage or chayotes. 
1 pint chopped white onion. 
1 pint chopped sweet red pepper. 
1 pint chopped sweet green pepper. 
4 tablespoons salt. 

Soak the pepper in brine (1 cup salt to 1 gallon water) for 24 hours. Freshen 
in clear cold water for one or two hours. Drain well. Remove seeds and 
coarse white sections. Chop separately, and measure the chopped cabbage, 
peppers, and onions before mixing. Add spices, sugar, and vinegar. Let stand 
over night covered in a crock or enameled vessel. Pack in small sterilized jars. 

The standard pack will be in a vase-shaped 10-ounce hermetic jar. When 
ready to pack drain the vinegar off the relish in order that the jar may be 
well packed. Pack the relish in the jars, pressing it carefully ; then pour over 
it the vinegar which was drained off. Paddle the jar thoroughly to get every 
bubble out and allow the vinegar to displace all air spaces. Garnish each jar 
with two quarter-inch pointed strips of red pepper 3 inches long. Place these 
strips vertically on opposite sides of the seams of the jar. Cap, clamp, and 
process for 10 minutes at boiling temperature. 

B. S CHUTNEY. 



Yellow part : 

1 pint small yellow fig tomatoes 

( preserved ) , or 
1 pint gingered watermelon rind 
or gingered chayote. 



Red part : 

2 cups pimiento (measured after 

cutting into ^-inch squares). 
i cup sugar 
i cup lemon juice. 
i teaspoon salt. 
2 hot peppers. 

Red part. — Peel the peppers according to the instructions given for canning. 
Chop sweet and hot peppers together, add sugar and lemon juice and let stand 
in an enameled vessel or crock for 12 hours. Drain off the liquor and allow 
it to simmer for 10 minutes. Pour it over the peppers again and let stand for 
4 hours. Simmer the liquor again for 15 minutes, allowing the peppers to re- 
main in while simmering. 

Yellow part. — Use 1 pint preserved yellow tomatoes, or pint chopped gingered 
watermelon rind or gingered chayote. The preserved yellow tomatoes should 
be kept as nearly whole as possible. If the gingered watermelon rind is used 
instead, for the yellow part it should be chopped or cut into small uniform 
pieces that will pack easily. Gingered chayote may be made just as the gin- 
gered melon rind is and I teaspoon tumeric added to each quart for coloring. 
This is tied in a bag and removed as soon as desii-ed color is obtained. Be 
careful not to let the product become too yellow. 

A 10-ounce vase-shaped hermetic jar is an attractive package for this prod- 
uct. In packing, place the heavier color, red, at the bottom in a li-iuch layer; 
then place a l|-inch layer of yellow. Continue in this manner until the jar 



is neatly filled. Combine the liquor and boil 5 minutes, strain, and pour it 
over the contents. Paddle to remove air bubbles. Cap, clamp, and process 
for 10 minutes. This may be paclsed for home use in pint jars and processed 
for 15 minutes. 

The small yellow fig tomato used in the chutney recipe is the variety which 
may be used for green-tomato pickle and whole ripe-tomato preserves. This 
paclv gives the colors of Spain, hence the suggestion, "Banner of Spain" from 
which the name B. S. Chutney is given. 

SOME WAYS OF USING FRESH AND CANNED PEPPERS. 

SALADS. 

' Salads to be most delicately served should be made of crisp, 
fresh fruit or vegetables, well chilled, and arranged attractively in 
a bowl or individual plate. 

GBKEN PEPPER AND CHEESE SALAD. 

Select and wash three medium-sized green peppers. Cut around the stem 
of each with a slender paring knife to remove the seed and white sections. 
Stuff the inside of the peppers with cottage cheese, pressing it in firmly. Chill, 
and when ready for use cut the pepper into quarter-inch slices and place two or 
three of these slices in a nest of tender lettuce. Serve with a salad dressing. 

BED PEPPKK AND CABBAGE SALAD. 



Salt and pei>per. 

* cup gelatin softened in i cup cold 
water. 



3 cups chopped cabbage. 

3 sweet peppers (red or green). 

i cup sugar. 

* cup vinegar. 

Mix all and set to mold in dishes whicli have been wet with cold water. Chill 
and allow to stand until firm. Serve on lettuce leaves with a salad dressing. 
Chayotes used in place of cabbage in this recipe make an attractive salad. 



COMBINATION SALAD. 



i cup chopped green pepper. 
i cup chopped red pepper, 
i cup chopped onion. 



1 cup tomato, cut into pieces. 
i cup sliced cucumbers, 
i cup chayote. 



Chop separately, measure, mix, and serve in a bed of shredded tender 
lettuce. Serve with a French salad dressing. 

SWEET RED PEPPER AND LETTUCE SALAD. 

A very good salad can be made by using the small leaves of head lettuce 
with strips of bright-red sweet pepper. Tliis salad is especially attractive when 
served with a small cheese ball on each plate. Roll the cheese into balls about 
the size of a walnut. These cheese balls may be made of cottage cheese or 
pimiento cheese. 

Cottage cheese. — Take fresh clabber before it loses its best flavor by becoming 
too sour. Heat slowly until barely hot enough to separate the curd from the 
whey. This takes place much below the boiling point. Pour it into a thin cloth 
bag and allow it to drip for one or two hours. Turn the curd into a bowl and 
season with salt and pepper. Add one-half cup cream to about 1 pint of dry 
curd and mix thoroughly. 

Pimiento cheese. — Chop finely two or three medimu-sized ripe pimientos 
which have been baked until tender and peeled. Canned pimientos may be 
used. The peppers should be soft enough to make a smooth mixture. Cream 
the pimientos and curd together luitil a smooth mixture is obtained. This 
clieese may be used for a sandwich filling, for cheese balls, and also for the 
stuffing in the green pepper and .cheese salad. 

PEPPER AND EGG SALAD. 

4 hard-cooked eggs. | 2 medium-sized peppers. 

Cook the eggs by dropping them carefully into a kettle of boiling water 
(about 2 quarts of water) and set the kettle where the water will not continue 
to boil. Allow the eggs to remain in this water, well c<ivered, for 4.5 minutes 
befoie removing to chill and peel for the salad. Clean the peppers, cut into 
long strips or into circles, arrange the slices of pepper with slices of egg 
attractively on a nest of lettuce, and serve with a cooked salad dressing. 



1 tablespoon flour. 
Yolks of 2 eggs. 
1 teaspoon salt. 
1 teaspoon mustard. 



9 

COOKED-CBEAM DRESSING. 

2 tablespoons melted butter. 

1 cup milk. 

1 tablespoon sugar. 

i cup hot vinegar. 

Mix the dry ingredients, mashing the lumps smooth with the back of a spoon. 
Slightly beat the yolks and mix in the dry ingredients; add 2 tablespoons 
melted butter, beating all the while; add 1 cup cold milk, stir well, and cook 
over a pan of hot water very slowly until the mixture coats a spoon. Now 
take from the fire and add one-fourth cup hot vinegar slowly. If the mixture 
should curdle, add 2 tablespoons cold water, set pan into cold water, and beat 
until it becomes smooth. 

FRENCH SALAD DRESSING. 

i teaspoon salt. I | teaspoon pepper, 

2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, | 4 tablespoons olive oil. 

Mix all ingredients and shake well in a bottle until well blended. French 
dressing is more. easily prepared and widely used than any other salad dressing. 

Other good combinations for salads are the following: 

1. Strips of canned pimientos with pears. Serve with French dressing. 

2. Circles of canned pimientos with three or four asparagus tips put through 
the circles. Serve these on lettuce with either French or cooked-cream dressing. 

OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR THE USE OF PEPPERS. 

STUFFED BAKED GREEN OR RED PEPPERS. 

Filling No. 1. 



1 cup cold chicken. 

1 tablespoon chopped onion. 

2 tablespoons melted butter. 
1 cup toasted bread crumbs or cooked 

rice. 

Filling No. 2 



1 tablespoon chopped parsley. 
3 teaspoon salt. 
I teaspoon pepper. 
1 slightly beaten egg. 



1 tablespoon chopped onion. 
s teaspoon pepper. 
1 cup tomatoes cut into cubes. 
Salt to taste. 



1 cup minced cold ham or chopped ba- 
con. 
1 tablespoon chopped parsley. 
1 cup toasted bread crumbs or cooked 
rice. 

Other cold meats may be ground, seasoned, and mixed with an equal quantity 
of bread crumbs or cooked rice, moistened with a slightly beaten egg, cream, 
or tomato, and substituted for either of the fillings. 

Take six whole medium-sized fresh green peppers or canned w'hole pimientos. 
If fresh peppers are used slice a round off the top, remove seeds, and save the 
top to replace. Soak in cold water (2 tablespoons salt to 1 quart water) for 
half an hour ; rinse in clear, cold water. Drain, press in the filling, and replace 
the top, and fasten it in place with wooden toothpicks. Put the stuffed peppers 
in a baking pan, pouring around them enough water to cover the bottom of the 
pan one-half inch. Bake in a medium hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes. When 
canned pimientos are used, remove from cans, discard liquor, and allow the 
pimientos to stand in a bowl for about 15 minutes to aerate before using, thus 
giving them a better flavor. Stuff as for green peppers and bake for 10 to 15 
minutes, 

ESCALLOPED DISHES. 

Escalloped dishes are baked mixtures, usually made of cooked cold foods 
with the addition of seasoning, sauce, and bread crumbs. Either fresh or 
canned peppers may be used to advantage in escalloped dishes made of potatoes, 
tomatoes, rice, macaroni, cabbage, cauliflower, or chayotes, 

ESCALLOPED POTATOES WITH PEPPERS. 



4 medium-sized cold boiled potatoes. 

1 cup cream sauce. 

1 slice of onion (minced). 



1 chopped red pepper. 

1 chopped green pepper. 

* tablespoon parsley (minced). 



Season with salt and pepper. 
Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Put a layer of potatoes in the bottom of 
a buttered baking dish. Mix minced pepper, parsley, onion, and seasoning, and 
add a layer of this mixture. Continue putting alternate layers of each until 
the mixture is all used. Pour over this the cream sauce and put a thin layer 
of buttered bread crumbs on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot. 



10 

To make buttered crumbs, melt 1 tablespoou butter and stir into it 1 cup 
soft crumbs. 

CREAil S-AUCE. 

i teaspoon salt. 



i teaspoon pepper. 



2 tablespoons butter. 

1 cup milk. 

2 tablespoons flour. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan, being careful to see that it does not burn ; 
add the flour and rub smooth. Add the milk, one-third at a time, stirring to 
mix well, and allow it to boil after each addition of milk. Beat well. 

CREOLE SAUCE. 



2 tablespoons chopped onion. 

1 tablespoon sugar. 

2 tablespoons butter. 
1 bay leaf. 

3 tablespoon minced parsley. 

4 tablespoons minced ham or bacon. 



1 pint tomato sauce , ( about the con- 
sistency of catchup). 

i cup green pepper (cut in 1-inch 
cubes or strips). 

i cup red pepper (cut in l-inch cubes 
or strips). 

1 tablespoon celery seed (crushed). 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Make tomato sauce by first cooking the tomatoes and putting them through 
a sieve. Cook the pulp until about the consistency of catchup. Chop the 
onion and fry in the butter until yellow ; add the pepper, tomato sauce, ham. 
and seasoning, and simmer for half an hour. Serve hot. 

This Creole sauce can be used in omelets, with rice crocjuettes, veal. lamb, 
boiled or baked fish, in soup, and with Creole chicken. When Creole sauce is 
to be canned, omit the ham or bacon and simmer only 15 minutes before 
packing. Process in 10-ounce glass jars for 20 minutes in a water bath at 
boiling temperature. Further information is given under the heading " Can- 
ning peppers" (p. 3). 

CREOLE CHICKEN. 



^ cup chopped onion. 

i cup rice. 

i teaspoon salt. 

1 cup boiling water. 



1 medium-sized fowl. 

2 cups tomato. 
1 cup okra. 

1 cup chopped sweet peppers. 
1 tablespoon fat. 

Dress the fowl and cut into joints. Melt the fat. add onion and pepper. Cook 
for a few minutes to develop flavor. Then add salt, tomato, and okra. and 
simmer for 10 minutes. Place layers of the chicken, vegetable mixture, and rice 
in cooking vessel until all is iised. Pour over this 1 cup boiling water. Simmer 
for one-half hour and put in fireless cooker for three hours without the hot 
disk or two hours with it. Additional seasoning of ham or bacon, parsley and 
bay leaf, may be used. 

DUTCH EGGS. 



6 hard cooked eggs. 
I cup grated cheese. 



1 cup white sauce. 

1 sweet red pepper cut into strips. 



Cut the eggs into quarters and place about one-fourth of the amount in a 
buttered baking dish. Cover this layer with sauce, and sprinkle over it a 
layer of the cheese ; then a few pieces of the pepper. Repeat imtil the dish is 
full. Sprinkle bread cinimbs on top, dot with butter, and brown in a hot oven. 

SPANISH SOUP. 

4 tablespoons flour. 

5 pints stock. 

1 quart tomatoes (canned or stewed). 
i tablespoon salt. 
i teaspoon pepper. 
1 teaspoon vinegar. 



tablespoons butter. 

tablespoons green pepper (chopped) 

tablespoons red pepper (chopped). 

medium-sized onion (chopped). 

pound macaroni. 

bay leaf. 



Cook chopped peppers and onion in the butter for 5 minutes ; add flour, 
heated stock, and strained tomatoes; .strain, season, add cooked macaroni, and 
just before serving add the vinegar. 

The peppers and onion may be minced by putting them through a meat 
grinder. 



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LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 




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LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



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